Since being featured as a part of XXL's "2010 Freshman Class", the world traveling emcee LaDonnis (formerly known as Donnis) has been steadily hammering away at the door of critical and public acclaim. With releases such as Diary of an ATL Brave and Fashionably Late, the Atlanta based hip-hopper has worked with a number of forward-leaning brands in an effort to get his electrified, club-leaning music to the masses. And while his post-name-change output often delivers the same rousing trap-funk energy of his earlier work, his most recent releases feel a bit more personal and revelatory than the party anthems of his past. That sentiment feels especially true when applied to his new "Black Boy" single – a keyed up and defiant track that shines a bright, brilliant light on several different aspects of being a young black man in America in the modern world.
The single (which is co-produced by ER and Khari "Needlz" Cain) and it's skillfully crafted video both arrive with perfect timing as they both capture the intense swell of emotions being felt by so many people during the current worldwide movement against racism and police brutality. Ladonnis and his team knock it out of the park with this louder-than-a-bomb anthem and the rapid-fire barrage of newsreels, movie clips, and other visual outtakes featured in the video only magnify the song's emotional response.
Undoubtedly my younger self wrote off LaDonnis' earlier work because its swaggering, party-it-up vibe didn't really appeal to me at the time. And if you fall into that category as well, do yourself a favor and be sure to check out "Black Boy" – as well as the rest of his LaDonnis' new music – to be pleasantly surprised by the ATL emcee's growth as an artist.
"Black Boy" is out now on all streaming services via Free Love Studio LLC.
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